Salt water evaporator



Nov. 11, 1952 .1. E.'JOYNER 7,

' SALT WATER EVAFORATOR Filed May a, 1949 2 SHEETS--$HEET 1 Fig.

lnvento r Jame s E. Joyner Novyi'i, 1952 J. E. JOYNER 2,517,159

SALT WATER EVAPORATOR Filed May 5, 1949 2 SHEETS-SPEET 2 1' wil g uin- "l'ul ml 1% James E. Joyner WWW ZQM L Patented Nov. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application May 3, 1949, Serial No. 91,102

. 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a saltwater evaporator of novel construction and design, the primary object of which is to provide a means for eificiently recovering salt and distilled water from natural and artificial salt-containing bodies of water with a minimum expenditure of fuel.

A further object of this invention is to provide an evaporator of the character described in which the salt water is efficiently pre-heated by the condenser tubes before it is conducted into the evaporator or boiler itself, the salt water serving, at the same time, as the coolant for the condenser tubes.

A further object of this invention is to provide an evaporator of the character described including a hood at the top of the boiler and baiiles in the hood to allow only water vapor instead of condensed water from entering into the condenser tubes, thus preventing any back pressure on the boiler and eliminating any possibility of explosion of the boiler.

-Yet another object of this invention is to provide an evaporator of the character described which is relatively simple in design and construction, easy to operate, and serves as an extremely efficient means for removing both salt and distilled water from any readily available saltwater source.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will later becomeapparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the device, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the evaporator, some parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of section line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is asectional view taken substantially in the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of section line 44 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of section line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Specific reference will now be made to the drawings. In the several views, in the accompanying drawings and in the following specification, similar reference characters indicate corresponding elements throughout.

Indicated generally at It is a substantially rectangular furnace having a conventional firebox l2 from which extends an angulated flue pipe 14 communicative with a chimney 16 to the 2 rear of the furnace. The furnace casing i0 is provided with straps 18 for securely retaining a substantially cylindrical boiler 20 having a preferably rounded bottom 22 positioned just above the firebox l2.

Integral with the top of the boiler 20 and su ported on the side walls of the furnace casing I0 is a preferably pointed hood 24, the inner side walls of which retain circular baflle plates 26 positioned immediately above the top open end of the boiler for a purpose to "be later described.

At both sides of the furnace and boiler,-a pair of substantially rectangular vertically extending tanks 28 are provided for retaining salt water 36. The salt water is conducted to the tank from a source such as the ocean or a sea via, pipes 32 which are communicative with the interior of the tanks, preferably at their upper ends, by means of suitable couplings 34. The pipes are maintained in position on the side walls of the tanks by means of straps 36.

To the rear of the boiler is positioned a further salt Water tank 38 which is shorter in height than the tanks 28 and which is communicative with the tank 28 by means of suitable pipes 40. A conduit 42 interconnects the shorter tank 38 with the boiler 20, as shown clearly in Figure 2, the conduit 42 having a conventional handoperated valve 44. Thus, it will be seen that salt water will be conducted in controlled amounts from any source to the two tanks 28, thence to the tank 38, and thereafter to the bottom of the boiler 20.

The hood 24 is provided with apertures 46 adjacent its top end while the inner side walls of the tanks 28 are also provided with apertures 48 adjacent their top ends. Condenser tubes 50 extend through the apertures 46 and 48, and, as will be seen clearly from the drawings, these tubes are U-shaped and positioned within the salt water tanks 28, being retained therein by means of suitable straps 52. The free ends of the U-shaped tubes are provided with enlarged bulb portions 54 to allow a slight expansion of the distilled water vapors.

Retained upon suitable supports 56 within each of the salt water tanks 28 are horizontally extending, substantially rectangular distilled water receiving tanks 58 having withdrawal spouts 60 and window portions 62 for viewing the amount of distilled water collected therein. At their top ends, the distilled water tanks 58 are provided with pipes 64 interconnecting the distilled water tanks with the web portions of the condenser tubes 50. The front of the boiler 20 is further provided with any suitable door 66 for the removal of salt remaining in the boiler and a window 68 for viewing the interior of the boiler.

In practical operation, salt water is conducted through the salt water tanks 28 and 38 and, by means of the hand-operated valve 44, a controlled fiow of the salt water is permitted to enter the bottom of the boiler 20. As the salt water is heated in the boiler, water vapor asses throughthe con-denser tubes 50. The baffle 26 serves to obstruct the flow of any liquid water into the condenser tubes 50. The water vapors in the condenser tubes 50 are cooled by thecold salt water in the water tanks 28, and when the water vapor condenses, it flows through the con-- duit 64 into the water receiving tanks 58; Thus, it will be seen that the salt water is pre-heated in the tanks 28 by the hot water vapor in the condenser tubes 50 and also serves as the coolant for the distilled water vapors. The cooperation between the baifies 28 and the expansion bulbs 54 prevents any build upof back pressure within the system, thus eliminating the possibility of explosion of the boiler.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, it isbelieved that-a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art, A more detailed description is accordinglydeemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though. there is herein shown and described a preferred. embodiment of the invention, the same isv susceptible to certain changes fully compre hended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the claimed as'new is 2 1. A salt water evaporator comprising a boiler, means for heating said boiler, a hood on said boiler, apair of condenser tubes connected-adjacent the topo'f' the hood, bafil'es in said hood for inhibiting water flow intd said condenser tubes,v said condenser tubes being of substantial l? U shape", an enlarged bulb-"shaped portion at thefr 'ee' end of. each of said tubes; a condensate tank for each tube; connections from the lower most portion of each tube to the respectivecozn densate't'ank, a salt water intake tank surrounding each-of said condenser tubes, means for supinvention,

what is plying salt water to said intake tanks, a salt water tank connected to said intake tanks, a connection from said salt water tank to said boiler, a valve in said connection, and a salt removal door in said boiler.

2. A salt water evaporator comprising a boiler, means for heating said boiler, a pointed hood on said boiler, a pair of condenser tubes connected adjacent the apex of the hood, bafiles in said hood for inhibiting water flow ihto said condenser tubes, said condenser tubes being of substantially U-shape, an enlarged bulb shaped portion at the free end of each of said tubes, a condensate tank for each tube, connections from the lowermost .portion of each tube to the res'pective condensate tank, a salt water intake tank surrounding each of said condenser tubes and its connected condensate tank, means for supplying" salt water to said intake tanks, a mixing tank connected to said intake tanks, a connection from said saltwater tank to said boiler, a valve in said connection, and a salt removal door insaid boiler.

JAMES E; JOYNER.

REFERENCES CITED dhe fo'llowingreferences are of record in the file'of-this patch-ti UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 286,448 Laist 001729, 1883 375,490 Hunziker Dec. 27,-.1887 550,849 Springer a; Dec-.3, 1895 576,910 Steber -1 Feb; 9, 1897 641,597 Kinney-na Jan; 16, 1900 664,015 Dena-eyer 1 1 Dec; 18, 1900 714,339 Warrene't al. Nov, 25, 1902 771,832 Rochlitz- Oct, 11, 1904 849,210 Daley et al.- -1- Apr.-2-, 1907 851,045 Ullrick --A-p1'.'23', 1907 867,143 Laidlow Sept, 24, 1-907 1,019,069 McMillen Mar. 5,- 1912 1,369,438 Jewell Feb. 22-, 1 92-]; 1,390,742 Allan sept= 13,1921 1,611,673 Plumby Dec.- 21,1926 1,723,575 Oliver Aug. 6, 1929 2,079,897 Brown 1 May 11,1937 2,388,294 Aug. 21', 1945 2,424,142 Bimpson a 21 July 15, 1947 2,475,481 Clemens .1-. July 5,- 1949 2,475,482 Clemens' July 5, 1949 

1. A SALT WATER EVAPORATOR COMPRISING A BOILER, MEANS FOR HEATING SAID BOILER, A HOOD ON SAID BOILER, A PAIR OF CONDENSER TUBES CONNECTED ADJACENT THE TOP OF THE HOOD, BAFFLES IN SAID HOOD FOR INHIBITING WATER FLOW INTO SAID CONDENSER TUBES, SAID CONDENSER TUBES BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED, AN ENLARGED BULB-SHAPED PORTION AT THE FREE END OF EACH OF SAID TUBES, A CONDENSATE TANK FOR EACH TUBE, CONNECTIONS FROM THE LOWERMOST PORTION OF EACH TUBE TO THE RESPECTIVE CONDENSATE TANK, A SALT WATER INTAKE TANK SURROUNDING EACH OF SAID CONDENSER TUBES, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING SALT WATER TO SAID INTAKE TANKS, A SALT WATER TANK CONNECTED TO SAID INTAKE TANKS, A CONNECTION FROM SAID SALT WATER TANK TO SAID BOILER A VALVE IN SAID CONNECTION, AND A SALT REMOVAL DOOR IN SAID BOILER. 